Carmel Institute for the Performing Arts
Carmel Institute for the Performing Arts, or simply Carmel, is an independent private performing arts secondary education institution in Akron, Ohio. Carmel is one of the leading performing arts schools in the Midwest and offers a four-year college preparatory curriculum combined with wide and intensive training in the performing arts, covering Dance, Music, and Theatre. Carmel exclusively serves fae. The school year usually stars after Labor Day and ends in May. Notable students include Jesse St. James. History The Carmel Institute was founded in 1977 as a fae-exclusive institution by Julia Carmel. Almost since the end of the Great War, common fae had been eagerly integrating with human society, usually by enrolling their children in human schools. The noble houses remained almost adamantly opposed to the idea and only associated with fae-exclusive schools. In the '60s and '70s, an increased movement to integrate through the arts, especially entertainment, was sparked by the success of human pop culture. In a preliminary effort to get noble blood involved, Julia Carmel opened the Carmel Institute for the Performing Arts. Fae children would study exclusively with other fae, but they would be cultivating careers that would inevitably lead to human interaction. The attempt was particularly successful among Dark Fae families because, while the Dark viewed humans as worthless and expendable, they were more open to integration due to the fact that they favored killing humans. The Light Fae families held too self-righteous and puritan a mindset to even deign to involve themselves with humans more than necessary. As such, since its inception, Carmel has served and been run by predominately Dark Fae. Carmel paved the way for many noble fae families to integrate with human society and now is one of the last fae-exclusive institutions in the country. Since it still mostly serves noble blood, it remains a high-priced private school and offers the one of the best fae academic programs in the nation. It has also become one of the top five performing arts schools in the Midwest. It has always resided at the same location in Akron, Ohio, expanding upon the original campus when necessary. The 2013-2014 school year is starting late in order to allow construction time for an expansion to the theatre department. Curriculum Academics :As required by Ohio State Law, Carmel offers a full range of rigourous and incredibly fast paced college preparatory courses: :*'English and Language Arts' — Four Years ::: Students cover a range of fiction and non-fiction spanning across the World and through the millennia, including authors such as Homer, Li Bai, Rumi, Dante Alighieri, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, the Bronte Sisters, Marcel Proust, Ernest Hemingway, Mark Twain, Langston Hughes, and Maya Angelou. Students will also cultivate impeccable writing skills. :*'Mathematics' — Four Years :::Courses range from Algebra I to Calculus II and General Statistics. :*'Science' — Four Years :::Course include Earth Science, Geology, Oceanography, Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. :*'Human History' — Four Years :::Courses include: :::*''History and Geography of the Eastern World'': In the first term, students cover the history and landforms of the East Asia, including China, Japan, and Korea. In the second term, students cover the history and landforms of South Asia, includind Maritime, Indochine, and India. In the third term, students cover the history and landforms of West Asia, including Persia, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Palestine, and Arabia. :::*''History and Geography of the Western World'': Students cover the landforms of Europe and the Americas, and an extensive history of Europe, including the Ancient, Classical, Medieval, Renaissance, Colonial, Enlightenment, and Modern Eras, largely excluding the United States. :::*''History and Geography of the United States'': Students cover the landforms and an extensive history of the United States spanning from Colonial America to the present day. :::*''History and Geography of Africa'': A two-term course where students cover the history and landforms of the African continent, spanning from indigenous history to Colonial and Modern Africa. :::*''History of Indigenous America'': A single-term course where students cover the histories of the indigenous peoples of the American continents, spanning from pre-colonial history to the present day. :*'Human Government '— One Year ::: Students will learn about the practice and history of human governmental systems. :*'History and Government of the Fae '— One Year ::Students will cover Fae history, including pre-war history, The Great War, and post-war history, as well as the intricacies of Fae government. :*'Health and Physical Education' — Two Years :::All students are required to take a full year of health education where they learn general health, general nutrition, and general sex education. Students must also complete a full year of physical education, which can be fulfilled with one of our many dance classes. For students who are unwilling to enroll in a dance class, there are general physical education classes offered. Arts Programs :Carmel offers an extensive list of majors from the departments of Music, Dance, and Theatre. Students may choose up to one major and one minor at varying degrees and combinations of focus, but are also allowed to be undeclared as long as they choose at least one area of study each year. :*'Music' ::* Music Theory and Composition ::* Classical Instrumental ::* Contemporary Instrumental ::* Classical Vocal ::* Contemporary Vocal :* Dance ::*''Ballet'' ::*''Ballroom'' ::*''Contemporary'' ::*''Hip-Hop'' ::*''Jazz'' :* Theatre ::*''Musical Theatre'' ::*''Acting Theatre'' Schedule Students attend core academics for a total of four hours and thirty minutes including between-class breaks.Each class runs for fifty minutes starting at 7:30 in the morning. Students then recieve a half-hour lunch break before continuing to their minor area of study which runs for one hour and thirty minutes. If students decide to not choose a minor, they are free to do as they wish until their major area of study which runs for three hours and thirty minutes until 5:30 in the evening. The entire school day lasts ten hours. The schedule reads as follows: *7:30-8:20 — First Period *8:25-9:15 — Second Period *9:20-10:10 — Third Period *10:15-11:05 — Fourth Period *11:10-12:00 — Fifth Period *12:00-12:30 — Lunch *12:30-2:00 — Optional Minor *2:00-5:30 — Major Vocal Adrenaline History : Vocal Adrenaline was founded the first year Carmel opened its doors by Julia Carmel herself. However, in 1977, the term "Show Choir" hadn't even been coined, let alone had any large following or significant competition, so Vocal Adrenaline started as a co-ed a capella group. : Dean Carmel and Vocal Adrenaline soon learned of the Luers Midwest Swing Choir Invitational being held in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was the birth of show choir, and by 1979, it had attracted twenty groups from around the Midwest to compete. By 1983, when PBS aired the competition, Vocal Adrenaline was begging Dean Carmel to compete, but the parents wouldn't have it. Vocal Adrenaline remained an non-competetive group until long after Julia Carmel had stepped down as Dean of Admissions. : Vocal Adrenaline didn't make its formal conversion into show choir until 1995 with fourteen members, just in time for the first Show Choir National Championship in Branson, Missouri. They managed to make it through to the National competition, but they came in 33rd place. The next year they hired a good director and made 21st place. As they slowly climbed the ranks, their numbers grew. : In 2000, Vocal Adrenaline won 13th place with 20 members. The next year, Theresa Cristobal was admitted as a freshman. She came from one of the most prestigious Dark Fae families, and they gave her whatever she desired. So she brought in a nationally acclaimed director who viciously whipped the group into shape. In 2001, they shot up to third place. The next two years, they were second. Quite a few students joined, and in 2004, with 32 members, Theresa led them to their first National Title. : Despite still having the director and now 39 members, without Theresa Vocal Adrenaline only managed fourth place in 2005. Their star coach left, but was adequately replaced. Over the next few years they managed to stay in the top five, between third and fifth place. Their numbers stayed stagnant. : In 2008, Gray van Havens was admitted to Carmel and in the Spring of 2009, she led a now 40-member Vocal Adrenaline to their second National Title after four years. The school hired a new director who would center the entire performance around Gray, and she led them to another win in 2010. : In 2010, Jesse St. James was admitted and the combined force of him and Gray continued Vocal Adrenaline's winning streak in 2011. Even when Gray left that year, Jesse's continued leadership had them win again in 2012, and once more in 2013, making their fifth consecutive win. Since Gray's first win, the membership of Vocal Adrenaline wavered between 50 and 55. Strategy : Vocal Adrenaline identifies the strongest performer and revolves the entire performance around them. Because of high membership, the group is often divided into smaller groups, each focusing on one number only. There are four main performances each year: :*'Fall Invitational' ::: Vocal Adrenaline almost never features their star performer during the Invitational. This is usually saved for group performances for three reasons: To keep the competition unaware of their true potential; to give the star performers more time to prepare for later numbers; and to give lesser talent an opportunity. :*'Sectionals' ::: At most, the star performer will do one solo at Sectionals. Usually this is reserved to showcase any new and exceptional talent in the group. If there is no new and exceptional talent, group numbers take over. :*'Regionals' ::: Regionals is almost exclusively reserved for the star performer. Exceptions are when the new talent has good chemistry with the star performer, as in the case with the duet between Jesse St. James and Giselle Clemens in 2013. :*'Nationals' ::: Nationals is absolutely reserved for the star performer, no exceptions ever. There has only ever been once that Nationals has featured more than one person: 2011, the performance was centered equally around Gray van Havens and Jesse St. James because they were both star performers.